


In Which Parker, Hardison, and Eliot Debate Houdini's Methods

by DoctorTrekLock



Series: AU-gust 2020 [19]
Category: Leverage
Genre: 1890s au, 1900s AU, Established Relationship, Harry Houdini - Freeform, Historical AU, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-20
Updated: 2020-08-20
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:55:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26004541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DoctorTrekLock/pseuds/DoctorTrekLock
Summary: “I’m telling you,” Hardison insisted. “They didn’t need to be mechanical trick handcuffs for him to cheat his way out. I’ve been corresponding with Tesla and--”“Damn it, Hardison,” Eliot exclaimed. “You don’t need to look for trickery. He obviously has mastery over his entire body. With that level of precision and control, any of his acts are possible.Withoutcheating,” he added pointedly.Hardison scoffed. “I’d like to see you attempt that milk can trick.”“The milk can? That’s easy.”Hardison visibly flinched. Eliot, much more accustomed to their lover’s sudden appearances, did not.
Relationships: Alec Hardison/Parker/Eliot Spencer
Series: AU-gust 2020 [19]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1870924
Comments: 2
Kudos: 56





	In Which Parker, Hardison, and Eliot Debate Houdini's Methods

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted August 19, 2020 on [Tumblr](https://doctortreklock.tumblr.com/post/626941136663183360/au-gust-19-19th-century-au)

“I’m telling you,” Hardison insisted. “They didn’t need to be mechanical trick handcuffs for him to cheat his way out. I’ve been corresponding with Tesla and--”

“Damn it, Hardison,” Eliot exclaimed. He kept his voice low, but he still got a couple looks for his language from the rest of the crowd milling outside the theater. “You don’t need to look for trickery. He obviously has mastery over his entire body. With that level of precision and control, any of his acts are possible. _Without_ cheating,” he added pointedly.

Hardison scoffed. “I’d like to see you attempt that milk can trick.”

“The milk can? That’s easy.”

Hardison visibly flinched. Eliot, much more accustomed to their lover’s sudden appearances, did not.

“What do you mean ‘easy,’ Parker?” Eliot growled.

Parker visibly chewed for several seconds before swallowing. “I mean, it’s a simple escape. You don’t even need a lock pick. And the can itself--” She shrugged, unwrapping another caramel. “Easy.” She put the candy in her mouth and started chewing it with a smile.

Hardison looked at Eliot for a moment in disbelief before focusing in on Parker again. “Darling, please tell me you did not lock yourself in a milk can just to see if you could escape.”

Parker shrugged. “Didn’t need to,” she enunciated around the candy in her mouth. “Done it before.”

Hardison looked back at Eliot, but Eliot just shrugged. “You didn’t need tricks though, right?” he asked Parker. When she shook her head in agreement he gave Hardison a pointed look. “See. Hard work and discipline. No...fancy gadgets required.”

Hardison sniffed in mock outrage and started to turn away. “I see how it is. Come along, my treasure.”

Eliot barely refrained from rolling his eyes or beseeching the heavens. While Parker was _darling_ , and Eliot was - on the rare occasion the two men indulged in such affectionate language - _dear heart_ , Hardison reserved _treasure_ for the collection of wires, gears, and springs he seemed to amass around him wherever he went. It was a constant in their apartment and could always been found in at least two of his myriad pockets.

The dispersing crowd had thinned enough now that the trio could easily make their way down the narrow New York City sidewalk. Hardison led the way, Parker and Eliot easily falling into his wake.

Parker hummed as she walked and offered the white paper bag in her hand to Eliot. “Caramel?”

Eliot glanced down. “No, I’m good.” Then he returned to his self-appointed duty of keeping a running visual inspection of the streets. Eliot had two very important people to keep safe, neither of whom had a well-developed self preservation instinct.

Hardison strode confidently down the sidewalk, mumbling under his breath, but Eliot knew he was crooning to his pocket of bits and bobs.

“You know,” Parker said thoughtfully. “I don’t think the buried alive act would be too difficult either.”

Hardison and Eliot both stopped in their tracks. Hardison turned on the spot. “Oh hell, darling,” he swore. “Tell me you did not just--”

Eliot patiently waited his turn. Hardison would hit the high points, and then he could fill in the rest. They were both accustomed to talking Parker down from her more destructive urges.

Despite the difficulties though, Eliot thought as he took in the New York evening, already anticipating the carefully calibrated gears he would be tripping over in the morning and the meticulously planned trip to a cemetery that he knew would be in his future, there was nothing on earth he would rather be doing.

And no one in the universe he would rather be doing it with.


End file.
